“Extreme Makeover – Home Edition” – CAC Style!

One of our most exciting new initiatives for this year is now a sure thing!  Thanks to a $15,000 U.S donated last year by Don and Shirley Green of Brockville and a brand new donation today of $35,000 U.S. by Dave and Pamela Malcomson of Kanata, this dream is now a reality!  The plan is to take an existing building on the Chausy Orphanage property, seen here:

This is the inside:

Rebuild it with siding and windows like this house:

a roof like this house:

and add an outdoor stage similar to this play structure:

and make it into a house for the children at the orphanage to have a chance to to learn what it is like to live in a home.  Not only will they learn life skills like buying groceries, preparing meals and doing laundry, but it will help them build self-esteem, self-confidence and most importantly … self-worth!

Last September we initiated an agreement between the Belarus Department of Education, the Chausy Orphanage, the Department of Humanitarian Aid and CAC to rebuild this house into a home on the Chausy Orphanage property.  Typically children graduate and leave the orphanage with little or no life or family skills or any understanding of a healthy family environment.  Children will earn the opportunity to spend a weekend with their friends (under supervision and guidance) in this home where they will learn these vital skills.  They will also plant a kitchen garden to supplement the food and preserve for the winter.

You can help with all of our orphan initiatives by clicking on the “Donate Now” button on the right side of this page (scroll up) and donating to “Orphan Intiatives”.

Click here to see a complete list of our 2009 spring initiatives.

We may take longer than 7 days, and we may not get to yell “move that bus”, but I can’t wait to see the kids faces when this initiative is complete!  Thank you so much for your support, together we are making a difference!

Eric McKenzie